Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Sparganium eurycarpum Engelm. ex Gray
- Family: Burreed (Sparganiaceae)
- Flowering: July-October
- Field Marks: This burreed is readily identified by its sessile achenes with the remnants of 2 styles remaining as a cleft beak.
- Habitat: Swamps, often in shallow standing water.
- Habit: Perennial herb from thickened rhizomes.
- Stems: Stout, smooth, upright, unbranched, up to 5 feet tall.
- Leaves: Elongated, stiff, keeled, smooth, up to 1/2 inch wide.
- Flowers: Male and female borne separately but on the same plant, the male in small spherical heads, the female in large spherical heads up to 3/4 inch in diameter, all the heads sessile.
- Sepals: 3 or 6, spatulate, green, failing away early.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Ovary superior, smooth; styles 2.
- Fruits: Several achenes borne in spherical clusters up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter; each achene sessile, obpyramidal, truncate at the summit, smooth, dull brown, the body up to 1/2 inch long, the cleft beak up to 1/6 inch long.
- Notes: The achenes are eaten by waterfowl.
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